EBRAINS Preparatory Phase

This ESFRI Preparation Phase Project will place the EBRAINS research infrastructure (RI) developed by the Human Brain Project (HBP) on a sustainable footing. The new organisational framework will allow EBRAINS to evolve from the largely EC-funded, HBP-developed RI into a sustainable “Hub-and-Node” RI on the ESFRI Roadmap.

The Operation Phase EBRAINS RI will serve the whole brain research community, rather than the needs of a subset of users within that community; this will be reflected in a broader offering of tools and services by the RI. The Operation Phase RI will focus more on the processing, managing and sharing of data of all sorts, even those generated outside the RI, but will retain an important role in providing cutting-edge data-generating tools and services. While staying true to its roots in supporting basic research, it will expand its activities to support clinical research and innovative exploitation of brain-related technologies. The evolving RI offering will be determined with the help of a new governance structure, which focuses on determining the priority needs of the broad brain research community. The Operation Phase EBRAINS will be funded primarily by long-term commitments by the EU Member States and Associated Countries that are home to a Node in the EBRAINS RI.

Objective 1: To put in place a financial, legal and governance framework for EBRAINS and prepare a plan to ensure the sustainable offering of the Service Capability by the Central Hub and the Nodes.

Objective 2: To obtain the legally binding commitment of EBRAINS Consortium Partners to offer services needed by the brain research community by setting up EBRAINS Nodes.

Objective 3: To deliver a complete overall technical design and associated cost estimate for the Service Capability.

Objective 4: To decide the legal structure that EBRAINS will adopt for the Operation Phase and produce draft statutes for EBRAINS in that structure.